[vizeroth]

Clearly, this is going to vary from one University to the next, but top-level administrator salaries have gone through the roof in almost every industry, including education, while most staff (and faculty, in the case of education) salaries have remained flat or even dropped.

The primary factor driving tuition rates up is reduced funding from State governments for State Universities and Colleges. Private Universities, of course, keep increasing their tuition rates to keep them at the same level relative to the State schools. Even the state schools (at least those trying to do something besides cut the quality of education and pass the costs on to the students) are getting a significant amount of their budget through private fund-raising.

Of course, when it comes to private funds, it's easy to get someone to pay for a building or renovations if you're willing to put their name on it. You may even get some scholarships for students, some equipment, extra funds for high-profile faculty (or high-profile administrators, in some cases), and many people are willing to donate their time to speak to students as guest lecturers. Good luck getting someone to pay for faculty & staff wages and benefits, though.